I've heard many teachings on how God speaks something to us and then the enemy immediately comes to contend what God has said and upon hearing it again this weekend at church at Jubilee Fellowship (check out the sermon at www.jfc.org) I just felt like writing about it because it seems so much like clock work what the enemy does and is doing and has done for thousands of years and yet it still trips us up! It's not a new tactic but it's effective and it's very annoying.
For example, after Jesus was baptized and God spoke and said this is my Son in whom I am well pleased... then Jesus was immediately led into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan... and what were Satan's first words to Him? "IF you are the Son of God"... How bold of him. God says this is my Son and then Satan says IF you are the Son of God. He comes to question and bring doubt to what God has said...
I want to take that a step further. Because God still speaks today and He speaks to each of us every day. He is speaking! And there are things that we say. There are things that are on our hearts and things we speak out. It is my belief that only things of faith, hope and love come from God. And fear, doubt and discouragement come from our enemy. And over and over again I've seen people I love speak things out in faith, hope and love and seen how immediately the enemy came and questioned the very thing they spoke out and in comes doubt, fear and discouragement. And I've seen it in myself. I've fallen to the schemes of the enemy myself! It's so annoying how easily I've seen those I love and myself let those doubts come in to produce uncertainty of faith, hope and love instead of contending for faith, hope and love! And rebuking the enemy with truth, the Word of God or just simply saying get behind me and shut up!
To where sometimes those I love and myself included have come to the conclusion that speaking out of faith is bad and wrong. It's not! To each God gives a measure of faith... but there is a gift of faith. And I believe and I have seen how those God has given that gift of faith have believed and spoken out in faith and in trust and believing God for great things and the enemy comes against that gifting hard with doubt.
Maybe it's all so annoying to me right now more so than ever because I've been asking God for a greater measure of faith and for the gift of faith and I've experienced more lies of the enemy than ever coming against me with doubt.
Have you spoken out something or been believing God for something that you believe He has spoken to you out of faith, hope and love? For your vision? For your dreams? For a relationship? And have you experienced doubt and uncertainty in that very area? Don't be surprised! Satan has been playing that game for thousands of years now. But I'm praying for revelation and for recognition of it! And expect it... expect two things... Expect God to speak to you. Expect great things BUT expect and look for the enemy to come against you to place doubt and uncertainty. To where you rejoice when you have something of faith, hope and love but to where you are keen and wise and are waiting for the enemy to rear his doubtful words so you can be ready with the response of "shut up Satan". I am practicing saying "thank You Jesus!" and "shut up Satan!" within the same breath because it seems it can come that quickly one after the other.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12.
May we never tire of doing good! (Gal. 6:9) Believe God for those things of faith, hope and love, especially love because it is the greater of the three! (1 Cor. 13) And contend for those things! Don't just give in to doubt. Recognize the doubt for what it is, a lie. A lie from the enemy that comes only to steal, kill and destroy. To steal our faith, to kill our hope and destroy our love. (John 10:10)
May Your will be done and Your kingdom come Lord! May Your Kingdom love come to earth Lord as it is in heaven! Look at the world around us, look at our homes and families and relationships. The enemy is doing a really good job of putting doubt in the hearts of mankind. Marriages are falling apart, families are falling apart. Why? Is it because people are falling out of love? NO! That is a lie of the enemy. It's because they are allowing doubt, in my opinion, to come in. They are allowing the enemy to to steal, kill and destroy all that they originally had faith, hope and love for. Like a man who looks in the mirror and then goes away and forgets what he looks like. We're not supposed to dwell on the past and that's not what I'm talking about when I say go back to the beginning. To what God spoke to you. To all the faith, hope and love that was within your heart when you began whatever the enemy is challenging and bringing doubt to right now. Because I believe we all have something to contend for. Whether you're struggling with your vision, your purpose, a relationship... go back to the beginning where you had that faith, hope and love. The doubt and the lies that are coming against you in those areas of faith, hope and love for whatever it is you're facing today are just that, lies from the enemy. Cling to faith, hope and love. Cling to Jesus and what He spoke in the beginning BEFORE the doubt came in. Proclaim God's truth, contend for it! And tell the enemy to shut the hell up, literally.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Pride & Insecurity
I have a friend who once said he didn't know how he could be so full of pride and so insecure at the same time... That question has stuck with me. I don't know if they still deal with this issue but I'm thinking it's more common than we think... We live in an imperfect world, full of imperfect people... Someone recently told me that we all need inner healing just because of that basic fact... Everyone just has different levels of inner healing that they need based on their life... We are all walking wounded in one way or another and just when we've dealt with one wound there is bound to be another one around the corner that we will have to deal with later... That's just life...
I recently returned from a mini retreat where I felt called away by God to just spend time with Him, to seek Him, to fast and pray and cry out to Him day and night regarding something so close to my heart, and hear His heart about it in an environment where I could do so without interruption... During that time I was speaking to a very wonderful lady who does inner healing ministry and we were discussing old lies of the enemy that I had thought I'd dealt with that were trying to creep back into my head... And she said something that was truly profound to me and helped me understand a lot of where some of my own struggles with pride and insecurity come from and hopefully will help others who deal with the same thing whether you're dealing with it right now or if and when it hits you in the future... And I'm going to put it into my own words because that helps me understand things when I can express it in my own words...
Pride and insecurity go hand in hand. They are like two sides of the same coin. Now we know as believers we exchange our sin for His righteousness, our ashes for beauty, etc... And we are also to no longer be conformed to the ways of the world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds and to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ... we're supposed to find our identity in who God says we are... we are to not lean on our own understanding but in all our ways acknowledge Him... I believe these all tie together... and none of this is based upon feelings... that's the tricky part. There are times when we might feel it but there are times when all these wonderful things we might not feel and we need to still speak them out in faith.
We were bought at a price, we are cleansed from all unrighteousness, we are the righteousness of God through Christ Jesus... We need to exchange our THOUGHTS for His thoughts. It's a good idea to agree with Someone who is never wrong... right? So, come into agreement with what HE says about you. No matter how or what you feel about yourself. No matter what the enemy or your own mind tells you. You feel unworthy, you feel wrong, you feel undeserving, you don't feel good enough, you don't feel talented enough, pretty enough, strong enough, etc... guess what? You're not any of those things on your own... BUT Who and what does God say you are? When the Father looks at you as a believer He sees His Son. He no longer sees all those things you're insecure about. Exchange your thoughts about yourself for the thoughts God has about you. He calls you worthy because of Jesus. He calls you right, you are in right standing with God because of Jesus, He calls you deserving, good and pleasing. He is not disappointed with you. He calls you talented and He gives you favor!
And when you exalt your own insecure thoughts about yourself above His thoughts of you, you are in pride. The very act of submitting those insecure thoughts about yourself to the thoughts He has about you is where humility is found. When you say Lord I don't feel right, I don't feel worthy, I don't feel a, b, or c about myself and I'm insecure in this area or that area BUT I will lay down my own thoughts about myself and come into agreement and submission to who You say I am and how You see me you're laying aside your pride and your insecurity. No, we're not to think more highly of ourselves than we should... I think people take that scripture to mean sometimes that we need to put ourselves down. That's not it at all! God calls us worthy! He died for us. He loves us. He calls us friend, He calls us righteous. Therefore, we are all those things that He says. Not of our own merit but by His mercy and His grace.
Exchange your thoughts about yourself for God's thoughts about you. Submit your insecurities and wrong thinking of yourself to who He says you are. It's when we exalt our own opinion of ourselves above what God says we are that we not submitting to Him and we are in pride because we are exalting our opinion of ourselves above His. That's pretty prideful. It's not humility to dog ourselves and say we're not this or that. It's pride. It's pride to say God I know you say this and that about me but I don't believe it. I believe I'm not worthy. God calls you worthy. Submit your low opinion of yourself to His truth and His Word. You may not feel it right away. You may still feel insecure. It's a process. But I charge you to get in the Word and look up what He says about you. Who He says you are. And even when you don't feel it. Every day say Lord I'm struggling in this area... whatever it may be and say but I humble myself before you and I lay aside my own thoughts of myself to you and proclaim and speak out what God says about you. A change will come. Find your security in Him alone. Pride is anything that exalts itself above God. Even so called "humble" thoughts about ourselves... that just aren't so humble...
Maybe you're at a low point in your life like I am where I feel the rug has been ripped out from underneath me and my heart is shattered. Maybe like me something deep within you has shattered... exchange it... maybe this example will help...
Lord I feel weak... but You say in my weakness You are strong
Lord I feel defeated... but You say I am more than a conqueror
Lord I feel lost... but You say I am found
Just a few examples, and I have not perfected it. I'm still asking, seeking, knocking, working it out.
I recently returned from a mini retreat where I felt called away by God to just spend time with Him, to seek Him, to fast and pray and cry out to Him day and night regarding something so close to my heart, and hear His heart about it in an environment where I could do so without interruption... During that time I was speaking to a very wonderful lady who does inner healing ministry and we were discussing old lies of the enemy that I had thought I'd dealt with that were trying to creep back into my head... And she said something that was truly profound to me and helped me understand a lot of where some of my own struggles with pride and insecurity come from and hopefully will help others who deal with the same thing whether you're dealing with it right now or if and when it hits you in the future... And I'm going to put it into my own words because that helps me understand things when I can express it in my own words...
Pride and insecurity go hand in hand. They are like two sides of the same coin. Now we know as believers we exchange our sin for His righteousness, our ashes for beauty, etc... And we are also to no longer be conformed to the ways of the world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds and to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ... we're supposed to find our identity in who God says we are... we are to not lean on our own understanding but in all our ways acknowledge Him... I believe these all tie together... and none of this is based upon feelings... that's the tricky part. There are times when we might feel it but there are times when all these wonderful things we might not feel and we need to still speak them out in faith.
We were bought at a price, we are cleansed from all unrighteousness, we are the righteousness of God through Christ Jesus... We need to exchange our THOUGHTS for His thoughts. It's a good idea to agree with Someone who is never wrong... right? So, come into agreement with what HE says about you. No matter how or what you feel about yourself. No matter what the enemy or your own mind tells you. You feel unworthy, you feel wrong, you feel undeserving, you don't feel good enough, you don't feel talented enough, pretty enough, strong enough, etc... guess what? You're not any of those things on your own... BUT Who and what does God say you are? When the Father looks at you as a believer He sees His Son. He no longer sees all those things you're insecure about. Exchange your thoughts about yourself for the thoughts God has about you. He calls you worthy because of Jesus. He calls you right, you are in right standing with God because of Jesus, He calls you deserving, good and pleasing. He is not disappointed with you. He calls you talented and He gives you favor!
And when you exalt your own insecure thoughts about yourself above His thoughts of you, you are in pride. The very act of submitting those insecure thoughts about yourself to the thoughts He has about you is where humility is found. When you say Lord I don't feel right, I don't feel worthy, I don't feel a, b, or c about myself and I'm insecure in this area or that area BUT I will lay down my own thoughts about myself and come into agreement and submission to who You say I am and how You see me you're laying aside your pride and your insecurity. No, we're not to think more highly of ourselves than we should... I think people take that scripture to mean sometimes that we need to put ourselves down. That's not it at all! God calls us worthy! He died for us. He loves us. He calls us friend, He calls us righteous. Therefore, we are all those things that He says. Not of our own merit but by His mercy and His grace.
Exchange your thoughts about yourself for God's thoughts about you. Submit your insecurities and wrong thinking of yourself to who He says you are. It's when we exalt our own opinion of ourselves above what God says we are that we not submitting to Him and we are in pride because we are exalting our opinion of ourselves above His. That's pretty prideful. It's not humility to dog ourselves and say we're not this or that. It's pride. It's pride to say God I know you say this and that about me but I don't believe it. I believe I'm not worthy. God calls you worthy. Submit your low opinion of yourself to His truth and His Word. You may not feel it right away. You may still feel insecure. It's a process. But I charge you to get in the Word and look up what He says about you. Who He says you are. And even when you don't feel it. Every day say Lord I'm struggling in this area... whatever it may be and say but I humble myself before you and I lay aside my own thoughts of myself to you and proclaim and speak out what God says about you. A change will come. Find your security in Him alone. Pride is anything that exalts itself above God. Even so called "humble" thoughts about ourselves... that just aren't so humble...
Maybe you're at a low point in your life like I am where I feel the rug has been ripped out from underneath me and my heart is shattered. Maybe like me something deep within you has shattered... exchange it... maybe this example will help...
Lord I feel weak... but You say in my weakness You are strong
Lord I feel defeated... but You say I am more than a conqueror
Lord I feel lost... but You say I am found
Just a few examples, and I have not perfected it. I'm still asking, seeking, knocking, working it out.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Love Your Enemies?
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I (Jesus) tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:43-48
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God."
How will they know we us as followers of God? By our love... that we love one another, that we love God, that we love our neighbors as ourselves, that we love ourselves, that we love our enemies... that we love... everyone without condition... extending the love and grace we have received from God to ourselves, to our families, our friends, our neighbors, our coworkers, those who bless us, those who curse us... God says to bless those who curse us... God asks us to give what we have to those who are in need... I think many times we don't feel like we have anything to give... times are hard, money is tight... giving is much more than financial aid, though that can be one way of showing love... as long as it's given out of love, a little or a lot it is a blessing... and we have more to give than we know sometimes... we have grace, mercy, forgiveness, peace, hope, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self control, and LOVE from and of God... we can always give love... we are called to it... we might all have different gifts and vocations and careers but we are all called to love...
I've been really asking God what that looks like for me... how do I love my enemies? How do I bless those who curse me? What does that look like in my own back yard to globally? A friend of mine asked a question in her facebook status that looked like this: As Christians who love Jesus are we supposed to "fight for our rights" or "lay down our lives?" or both?... I've been examining the scriptures and asking myself what I really think of all that... for example, there is a LOT of debate over the building of the mosque by ground zero. A lot of Christians are mad, a lot are enraged, a lot are protesting it... I'm not saying any of that is right or wrong. I understand where they are coming from... but at the same time... I hear ringing in my ears... "blessed are the peacemakers", "blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness". Maybe it is meant as an affront and a curse... but we are called to bless them... if it is true then they are looking for a fight... they are wanting one, they want the protests... love is a dirty four lettered word to the enemy that he hates... how do we love them? How do we bless them? How do we show them God? How do we look past the circumstances of this finite world that will pass away and into the Spiritual and the matters of the heart and soul and fight the battle there? Love... I don't have all the answers... I may be wrong in much but I want to paint a picture and see what it invokes... I'm sure not everyone will agree and I'm not saying this is the right way but I had this picture in my mind's eye and I was wondering what it would look like if we as followers of God actually lived it out? How would it affect the hearts of those who may want to curse us? How dumbfounded would it leave the world? Here's the picture I had... what if we laid down our our picket signs and offered our help? What if we fed their hungry, clothed their needy, what if we asked what they needed and how we could help? What if we asked them how we could pray for them and then actually did? What if we blessed them? What if we loved them? What if we offered what we had to give? And when they looked at us like we're crazy and asked us why we said, "because we love Jesus and because we love you"? I know the end of the story... I'm not afraid (well, maybe a little if truth be told) of persecution... it's already here, and it will continue... what really matters? Does living the American dream really matter? Is life really about having more than I need and just having fun and protecting that for future generations? It sounds nice... it really does, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that... but what about the hearts of the perishing? What about our call to love and bless our enemies even if it interferes with our comfort? I don't know... I'm pondering... I'm asking, I'm working it out.... God show us how to love!
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God."
How will they know we us as followers of God? By our love... that we love one another, that we love God, that we love our neighbors as ourselves, that we love ourselves, that we love our enemies... that we love... everyone without condition... extending the love and grace we have received from God to ourselves, to our families, our friends, our neighbors, our coworkers, those who bless us, those who curse us... God says to bless those who curse us... God asks us to give what we have to those who are in need... I think many times we don't feel like we have anything to give... times are hard, money is tight... giving is much more than financial aid, though that can be one way of showing love... as long as it's given out of love, a little or a lot it is a blessing... and we have more to give than we know sometimes... we have grace, mercy, forgiveness, peace, hope, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self control, and LOVE from and of God... we can always give love... we are called to it... we might all have different gifts and vocations and careers but we are all called to love...
I've been really asking God what that looks like for me... how do I love my enemies? How do I bless those who curse me? What does that look like in my own back yard to globally? A friend of mine asked a question in her facebook status that looked like this: As Christians who love Jesus are we supposed to "fight for our rights" or "lay down our lives?" or both?... I've been examining the scriptures and asking myself what I really think of all that... for example, there is a LOT of debate over the building of the mosque by ground zero. A lot of Christians are mad, a lot are enraged, a lot are protesting it... I'm not saying any of that is right or wrong. I understand where they are coming from... but at the same time... I hear ringing in my ears... "blessed are the peacemakers", "blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness". Maybe it is meant as an affront and a curse... but we are called to bless them... if it is true then they are looking for a fight... they are wanting one, they want the protests... love is a dirty four lettered word to the enemy that he hates... how do we love them? How do we bless them? How do we show them God? How do we look past the circumstances of this finite world that will pass away and into the Spiritual and the matters of the heart and soul and fight the battle there? Love... I don't have all the answers... I may be wrong in much but I want to paint a picture and see what it invokes... I'm sure not everyone will agree and I'm not saying this is the right way but I had this picture in my mind's eye and I was wondering what it would look like if we as followers of God actually lived it out? How would it affect the hearts of those who may want to curse us? How dumbfounded would it leave the world? Here's the picture I had... what if we laid down our our picket signs and offered our help? What if we fed their hungry, clothed their needy, what if we asked what they needed and how we could help? What if we asked them how we could pray for them and then actually did? What if we blessed them? What if we loved them? What if we offered what we had to give? And when they looked at us like we're crazy and asked us why we said, "because we love Jesus and because we love you"? I know the end of the story... I'm not afraid (well, maybe a little if truth be told) of persecution... it's already here, and it will continue... what really matters? Does living the American dream really matter? Is life really about having more than I need and just having fun and protecting that for future generations? It sounds nice... it really does, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that... but what about the hearts of the perishing? What about our call to love and bless our enemies even if it interferes with our comfort? I don't know... I'm pondering... I'm asking, I'm working it out.... God show us how to love!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)